When winter approaches and the mountains are decked out in their white mantle, the many winter sports enthusiasts eagerly await the opportunity to hit the snowy slopes! However, before you embark on a memorable ski season, there's one crucial question to answer:
Which ski program is best suited to your style and needs?
Choosing your skis is an essential step that will greatly influence your experience on the slopes. Skis are not all made in the same way, and each has specific characteristics that make them more suitable for certain conditions or styles of skiing. Whether you're a beginner looking for skis for your first runs, or a seasoned expert looking to update your equipment, this buying guide will support you in all your decisions. We'll explore the different types of skis, their key features and the factors to consider when choosing the perfect ski program for your winter adventure.
Get ready to choose with confidence and make the most of your time on the snowy slopes with our expert advice!
Downhill skiing
To hit the slopes at high speed, especially on the hardest snow, piste skis are designed with a classic camber and a narrow width of less than 86 mm. This enables extremely fast edge-to-edge transitions with excellent grip.
For the most talented skiers, piste skiing opens the door to prestigious competitions such as downhill, slalom and giant skiing, the flagship disciplines of the Olympic Games and World Cups. Who hasn't heard of big names like Lindsey Vonn, Alexis Pinturault or Tessa Worley?
All-Mountain skis
As the name suggests, All-Mountain skiing is a all-terrain skiing capable of performing in all kinds of snow conditions, whether on groomed tracks, bumpy terrain, trafoliated areas and powder snow, enabling him to juggle downhill runs with off-piste excursions, far from the tourist crowds.
The All-Mountain ski is perfect for sportsmen and women who don't want to limit themselves to a single sport, but want to exploit all the possibilities offered by the ski resort.
To adapt to different types of snow, the All-Mountain ski is slightly wider than a classic piste ski and is equipped with a rocker at the front. This technology lifts the front end of the ski, enabling it to stay on the surface of soft snow, known as "déjaugeage". The rocker facilitates off-piste maneuvers and brings that playful side to the ski that we love so much!
All-mountain skis are designed to offer optimum versatility, enabling skiers to enjoy both groomed pistes and off-piste terrain. They are characterized by their skid width, which is generally between 80 and 100 mm. Here's a brief description of the two categories of all-mountain skis you mentioned:
All-mountain skis with a runner width between 80 and 93 mm: This category is ideal for skiers who prefer skis that are closer in width to traditional piste models. These skis are ideal for use on groomed runs, offering excellent maneuverability and quick edge changes. However, they are also capable of venturing off-piste to discover softer, albeit shallow, snow.
All-mountain skis with a skate width between 93 and 100 mm: This category of all-mountain skis is slightly wider, making them versatile on a variety of terrains. They are balanced to work on both groomed trails and softer snow in off-piste conditions. These skis offer the possibility of making great off-piste tracks and venturing onto ungroomed marked trails in major resorts, while maintaining good on-piste performance.
Freestyle skis
Freestyle skiing is a discipline based on jumps and tricks. Generally practised in snowparks, areas specially set aside for freestyle, it includes various elements such as Kickers (moguls), Rails (sliding bars) and Half Pipe (snow-covered half pipe). In addition, freestyle includes JIB, which is urban freestyle, inspired by sports such as skateboarding and rollerblading. It also includes backcountry freestyle skiing, a hybrid discipline mixing freestyle and freeride, where skiers perform tricks off-piste, particularly in powder snow.
In freestyle skiing, the choice of skis is essential. For switch riding (skiing in reverse), it's imperative to opt for twin-skate skis. The width of the skis will vary according to use: narrower for park and street, and wider for backcountry.
Double-tip freestyle skis, with a classic camber along their entire length, offer excellent grip, making them ideal for half pipe.
On the other hand, twin-spatulated freestyle skis with a double rocker are far more maneuverable, making them the perfect choice for flat tricks and for quickly linking up different park modules with ultra-fast turns.
Freeride skis
Freeride skiing, as its name suggests (combining "Free" and "Ride"), is a discipline that favors freedom of glide across the whole mountain, in search of panoramic lines and vast expanses of powdery snow. It's an adrenaline-fuelled, adventurous sport, but is reserved for experienced skiers because of its technical demands and the need for in-depth knowledge of the mountain and its safety rules.
There are two main categories of freeride skis:
Freeride skis with a skate width of less than 110 mm: These skis are designed primarily for fresh snow and powder. They are characterized by a wide runner width and generally feature a large rocker in front, sometimes an additional rocker in back, or even a flat or inverted camber. These features make them extremely maneuverable off-piste. Although these skis are generally stiff and sporty, they can also be used on the slopes when fresh snow is scarce, especially by expert skiers who adopt them as versatile everyday skis.
Freeride skis with a runner width over 110 mm: This category includes the widest skis on the market, with a runner width generally exceeding 110 mm. They are sometimes called "Fat" skis and are specifically designed for powder. Their wide runner gives them an impressive ability to pivot easily in deep snow, creating a much-appreciated levitation effect. The discipline's flagship competition is the Freeride World Tour, where renowned athletes such as Aurélien Ducroz, JP Auclair, Tanner Hall and Mike Douglas compete to push the limits of freeride...
Freerando skis
Touring skis, derived from classic alpine skis, feature articulated bindings that free the heel when walking. To tackle steep slopes, the use of sealskins is essential, as they offer an anti-backwards effect. Once at the summit, the binding locks completely, providing performance similar to that of a traditional alpine binding.
Like downhill skis, touring skis are available in different widths, adapted to different types of practice:
The light touring ski (ski rando light): These skis are narrow and extremely light, designed for fast ascents with fitness-oriented skiing. They are perfectly suited to iconic races such as the Pierra Menta.
Multi-purpose ski touring: These relatively light skis offer the versatility to be used both off-piste and on-piste. They are ideal for hiking and discovering breathtaking panoramas, far from overcrowded ski resorts.
Freerando skiing: These larger, more powerful skis are designed for lovers of demanding powder descents. They guarantee a considerable dose of adrenalin during these snowy descents.
Now that you've got all the information you need to choose the program that's right for you, let us guide you through our selection of high-performance skis at the best prices!
